Integrated Retrieval of Surface and Atmospheric Parameters over the Arctic from AMSR-E Satellite Microwave Radiometer Data using Inverse Methods

We present a method for the retrieval of atmospheric and surface parameters (namely, surface wind speed, total water vapor, cloud liquid water, surface temperature, ice concentration, multiyear ice fraction) over the Arctic Ocean from brightness temperature measurements by the spaceborne microwave radiometer AMSR-E (Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for EOS) on the satellite Aqua. We use an inverse method, with a forward model based on a fast radiative transfer for AMSR-E over open ocean which we have extended by including the possibility of ice-covered or partly ice-covered sea, using new data on sea ice emissivity at AMSR-E frequencies. The method performs reasonably well and can even retrieve cloud liquid water over ice, and ice concentration in the marginal ice zone in cloudy and humid conditions.